Mall Madness, Manga Dua, Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Terima Kasih Indonesia! (Day 3)

I only had a few hours left in Indonesia so I decided to check-out early and get a head start on the day.  Fittingly, the first mall I visited was Sarinah Department Store, the oldest mall in Jakarta.  Despite being a little long in the tooth, Sarinah is still a favorite among Indonesian mall goers.  It is a good place to buy souvenirs as there are floors dedicated to goods like batik, handicrafts and jewelry from all parts of the country.  The prices are a bit high compared to street vendors but the products sold in Sarinah are of better quality and guaranteed authentic.  There's also also a Mcdonalds & Chilis restaurant if you're hungry.  Across the street is a Lotus Department Store selling clothes and footwear.

To get here, take the BRT to the Sarinah stop, the mall is conveniently linked to the station.  From here, the bigger malls are an easy 7 minute walk away.

Jakarta...Monas, Kota, the Business District & Shopping Malls (Day 2)

Jakarta: A Society of Extreme Contrast and a City on the Rise

"Now where has it been?

I mean the good old wild days

...Forward....

...There something in the air..."

Pogo by Digitalism

For some reason, this song was stuck in my head throughout my entire stay in Indonesia.  The Big Durian, as Jakarta is fondly called, isn't a popular tourist destination, not even to the locals, but I was here to give it a shot and try to find reasons for you guys to visit.  A place I like to call the Muslim Manila, it is infamous for traffic, over-population, high pollution levels, corruption and making international headlines for all the wrong reasons.  But like Manila, the shopping malls are first rate and if you muster up enough courage to walk it's historic streets and seldom visited tourist sights, you just might enjoy your trip, like I did!

Despite the freezing aircon in the train, I managed to get a good sleep and woke up an hour before we reached Jakarta.  The train stopped at Gambir Station, Jakarta's main rail terminal located in the city center; an adequate fully functioning transportation hub connecting Jakarta to all of Indonesia's major provinces.  It has shops & restaurants as well as reliable transportation options to wherever you're going in Jakarta in the form of Blue Bird Taxis.  Taxi drivers in the city have a bad reputation but one company (Blue Bird) has been well recommended by locals and previous visitors as honest and reputable.  I've stuck to taking Blue Bird Taxis during my stay in Jakarta and I can tell from experience that their drivers use the meter, take you to anywhere you want to go without refusing and are courteous and professional despite difficulties in communication.

From Gambir station to your hotel, your best bet is to hail a Blue Bird cab depositing passengers in the station.  Don't worry there's a lot of them in Jakarta and trips to anywhere around the city won't take more than 30 minutes (normal traffic) and won't cost you more than IDR 50,000.  There's also a Damri bus from Gambir Station which goes directly to the airport for IDR 20,000, leaving every 15-30 minutes.

For travelers looking for a more comfortable option, you may pre-arrange a private car transfer with Jakarta Airport Transfer.

Business class on the sleeper train

Java...Prambanan, Borobudur, and Yogyakarta (Day 1)

Java: My First Solo Adventure / Spectacular Sights All Around

Spontaneous, not part of the plan, unexpected yet somehow ends in amazement.  The Piso Sale had me in a panicked frenzy as I swiped my credit card away to my target destinations.  The craziness resulted in one random moment (which I still I can't explain), where I suddenly had the overwhelming urge to go to Indonesia, alone, without any prior research, and so I made it happen and arranged my one-on-one appointment with Southeast Asia's Sleeping Giant!

After reading a bit about the country, I arranged an itinerary that would maximize my sightseeing and included the highlights of Java, the region of my fascination.  The plan was to fly early from Jakarta to see the magnificent sights of Borobudur & Prambanan then experience Yogyakarta's rich culture and finally get back to Jakarta in the morning via overnight train, all within 24 hours.  And if everything goes right (or wrong), my first solo backpacking experience will be something I'd never forget!

Highlights of Java

Dolphin Watching, Balicasag Island, Virgin Island & Tagbilaran City (Day 3)

I grew up with the sea just behind my house and with a grandfather who used to sail but for some reason (overprotective parents), I never once did venture out into the open waters.  Today was my chance, and a chance for my Lolo to return to the familiar environment  he used to tread.  

We were up early on a Tuesday for our Sea Tour costing P 1,800.  If you'll be arriving from Tagbilaran City, there is an additional P 1,000 round trip fee for land transfers because it's quite far.  We left the hotel around 5:00 am and were now headed to Panglao Island, this time for some sun, sand and splash!

After a long walk to the docks, we finally got to our motorized boat and on our way to the middle of the sea for Dolphin Watching near Pamilacan Island.  Dolphins are most commonly seen around 6:00 to 7:00 am which is the reason for the early start of the tour.  Despite being a weekday, there were a lot of bancas on dolphin watch, which according to our guide causes disturbance to dolphins and reduces the chances of seeing them.  After about 20 minutes of wait with no sighting, we decided to end the pursuit because my grandmother was feeling sea sick.  I was starting to feel bad and disappointed when two minutes into our retreat, we lucked out on seeing a gang of dolphins pop right across our boat!  They hoped, dived and dazzled in front of us for about a minute until  the other boats caught up and the dolphins disappeared for good.

Seeing the dolphins roam free in their natural habitat up close makes rising early worth it.  There is just more fun in seeing them unpredictable and in the wild compared to being in controlled environments like marine parks.

Early morning, lost at sea

The Countryside, Tarsiers, Chocolate Hills and Island City Mall (Day 2)

I remember a music video back in my youth (naks, feeling matanda, haha) entitled "Tara Byahe Tayo" sang by various local artists and promoted by the government under the Wow Philippines tourism campaign.  Back then, I wasn't in love with travel yet, but I think the beautiful images shown from our national attractions got ingrained into my subconscious  and explains why there is like a magnetic force pulling me to visit all of them.  Now, I cross one out one on the list, and boy was it worth the visit! 

The van picked us up around 9 am for our Countryside Tour costing P 2,400 as today we explore Bohol's most famous attractions.  Hearing a lot of good feedback from other people who've been here, there was a palpable sense of anticipation among the group.

First stop is the Blood Compact Site.  This is the sight of the historic treaty between Sikatuna and Legazpi known as Sandugo.  The ritual involved the Filipino and Spanish leaders drinking wine mixed with drops of blood drawn from the other as a sign of friendship.  It is a heavily visited area with tourists all lining up to have their photos taken.  The background set on top of a cliff also provides a dramatic view of the Bohol sea.  During July, the Blood Compact is celebrated by the townspeople in a feast filled with food and lively activities. 

Cheers!

Bohol... Arrivals, Dauis, Panglao City and Bohol Bee Farm (Day 1)

Bohol: The Famous Hills and Everything Else Untold

Bohol has always been famous for Tarsiers, the Chocloate Hills and Panglao Island.  To most tourists, it is a single day trip from Cebu with an overnight stay at the maximum.  They get to see the famous sights and possibly check out the beach before heading out.  However, one of the joys of traveling, is venturing into the unknown and making unexpected discoveries.  I wanted to see Bohol for all its worth, from the tourist spots, to the roads less traveled.

The Chocolate Hills

Erawan Shrine, More Malls, & Chinatown (Day 5)

This is our last day in Thailand and we were hoping to make it count.  Unfortunately, the "Incident" happened, which I won't discuss further, and instantly, I was on my own for the rest of the day.

I started my trip around 1 pm, after checking out and leaving my stuff at the hotel.  I hoped on the BTS to Chit Lom Station and made my way down to the Erawan Shrine.  Located below the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, the Erawan Shrine houses a sacred Hindu statue named Than Tao Mahaprom with hordes of followers paying their respects from morning til night.  It is adorned with flowers, incense and candles and is revered by Thais.

As seen from the skybridge